The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-28
PARLOR MAGIC.
AMUSEMENT FOR THE LONG
WINTER EVENINGS.
Droll Tricks and Exhibitions OF
Natural Science.-Performa
ces that are Entertain
ing and Simple.

ing and Simple.
The Boston Herald gives a number OF
droll tricks and curious exhibitions In
natural science for rarlor entertainment
during the long winter evenings We
make the following selections:
DRoLL TRICK.
You take SIX pieces OF paper; place
three of them ON the back of your hand,
and, as a preliminary operation, bow
them away with an air of great mystery,
informing your audience at the same
time that you are about to explain to
them some new kind of magnetism.
Then, placing the other three pieces on
your hand, you say: Which OF the
three pieces do the company desire shall
remain On my hand when blow on
them 2" When one has been selected,
you place the forefngcr of your other
hand upon it and blow the other pieces
away. The absurdity of this mode Of
solving this problem is sure to create
much merrimcnt.
TIE WONDERFUL HAT.
Upon a table place three pieces Of
bread, or any other eatable, at little
distance from each other, and cover each
with a hat: take up the first hat, and
removing the bread put it in your mouth,
letting the company see that you swal-
low it; then raise the second hat, and
eat the bread which was under that,
then proceed to the third hat in the same
manner. Having eaten the three pieces,
ask any person in the company to choose
which hat he would like the three pieces
of bread to be under, and when he has
made his choice of one of the hats, lnt
it on your head and ask Ii III if he do $
not think they are under it.
EXPERIMENTS IN ELECTRICITY.
Take piece of common brown paper,
hold it before the fire until quite dry
and hot, then draw it briskly under the
hIm several times, so as to rub it OH both
sides at once by the coat. The paper
will be found 80 powerfully electrified
that if placed against wainscotcd or
papered wall of a room, it will remain
there some minutes without falling.
Warm two pieces of white paper at the
FIRE, place them upon each other, on
table or book, and rub strongly the upper
paper with India rubber, when the papers
will be found so strongly electrical as to
be separated only by force. If torn
ssunder in the dark, they will give out
the electric spark.
CURIOUS MOTIONS.
Procure basin of milk warm water,
throw into it half dozen pieces of CAM
phor about the size of pea; in minute
they will begin to move, and acquire
rotary and progressive motion, which will
continue for considerable time. CAM
phor, being highly combustible, will
burn, if ign;ted, while floating upon
water, producing singular effect.
RING SUSPENDED BY \ BURNT THREAD.
Put teaspoonful OF salt in a wineglass-
tul of water; stir it up and place it in
some coarse sewing cotton, say No. 1G;
in about an hour take the thread out and
dry it. Tic piece Of tins prepared cot
ton to small ring, hold it up and set fire
to the thread. When it has burnt out,
the ring will not fall, but remain sus-
pended.
TO STAND AN EGG UPRIGHT.
The unceremonious manner in which
the great navigator performed the feat
Of making an egg stand upright, by
breaking one end. is familiar to all who
have read the anecdote Of "Columbus and
the Egg" Evidently at that time it was
considered impossible to stand an egg on
its point Su h is not the case, however.
BY taking an egg "a long one is the best),
and we'll shaking it, so that the yolk may
be broken and mixed with the white, it
ran be balanced by any one with steady
hand upon its broad end. A piece of
.late or any smooth and even surface is
best adapted for this experiment.
THE DOUBLED COIN.
Half fill glass with water and put
dime or quarter into it; cover the glass
with plate, upon which place one hand,
while you hold the glass with the other;
turn the glass upside down, so that none
Of the water may escape; place it upon a
table, and you will see the coin at the
bottom larger than it is in reality, and
another will appear, of the natural size:
little above it.
THE INVERTED GLASS OF WATER.
This little experiment affords at the
same time amusement and instruc ton.
Wipe wine glass perfectly dry, then
pour water into it until it is full; indeed,
If care be taken to have the glass que
bright, it may be filled above the brim.
Now take card, carefully place it upon
top of the water, and press it on the RIM
of the glass. If this be cleverly done,
there will be no air bubble between the
card and the water; and if the glass lie
more than full, this can be with GER
tainty accomplished. Now dexterously
turn the glass up,idedown, kccpingthe fin
ger on the card the while. This beingdone,
The finger can be removed from the card,
and yet the water will not run out, nor
will the card fall away. No air can get
into the glass, and, as consequence, no
water can run out. If the glass, still in
verted, be placed upon tray, the card
can be slipped away, and yet no water
flow out. In this way you can hand a
glass of water to friend, but he can not
remove it without spilling the whole.
no PLACE WATER IN GLASS UPSIDE
DOWN.
Procure plate. tumbler and small
piece of tissue paper. Set the plate on
table, and pour water into it up to the
FIRST rim. Now, slightly crumple up the
paper, and place it in the glass; then set
r. on the, fire When it is burnt out, or